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She picked up the wrong bag. He caught her with what was inside. And now they're both lying about everything.
At the Honolulu airport, Jayden Pierce made a mistake that will change she grabbed the wrong gray rolling bag.
She didn't realize it until she was alone in her hotel room. Until she opened it. Until she saw what was inside—something that shouldn't exist, something that proves a deadly conspiracy is in motion.
And someone on her tour group to Sydney is behind it.
Dakota Rivers has been undercover for three days, embedded in a tour group bound for Australia. His identify and stop a critical threat to President Isaac White before the Opera House summit in two weeks.
When he discovers what Jayden is carrying, everything points to her. Every instinct says she's the threat he's hunting.
But his gut says she's something else entirely.
So Dakota makes a calculated gamble. Instead of turning her in, he proposes an alliance. They'll work together—go undercover as an engaged couple, hunt for the real threat among their fellow tourists, and stop whatever's coming before the President arrives.
It's the only move that makes sense. It's also completely insane.
For two weeks, they'll tour Australia while playing the perfect couple. Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef while watching for enemies. Wine tasting in Hunter Valley while identifying suspects. Romantic dinners where they're both calculating exits and wondering who's really playing whom.
The problem? Jayden IS playing him. Because she's not a travel blogger. She's a Black Swan operative on a classified mission. And she's definitely not telling Dakota that.
Both of them are keeping secrets. Both of them are hunting the same enemy. And both of them are falling for the one person they absolutely cannot trust.
The tour group is full of people with something to anxious consultant who seems terrified of everythingThe British couple with suspicious backgroundsThe photographer who never stops watchingThe honeymoon couple who might be too perfectThe elderly birdwatcher who sees more than he shouldSomeone among them is dangerous. Someone has already crossed lines that can't be uncrossed. And as the tour moves from Cairns to Sydney, as the President's arrival draws closer, the stakes climb higher with every mile.
Because Alan Martin doesn't just want to win. He wants to send a message. And he'll eliminate anyone who gets in his way.
When the conspiracy explodes on Sydney Harbour, Jayden will find herself in the crossfire. Dakota will have to choose between his mission and saving her. And all their secrets—every lie, every cover story, every truth they've been hiding—will come spilling out.
In the end, trust isn't a luxury. It's survival. And two liars might just have to tell the truth to save each other.
SOUTH is a pulse-pounding Christian romantic suspense ✓ Forced to work together on dangerous mission ✓ Fake engagement to maintain cover ✓ Both hiding critical secrets from each other ✓ Bag switch mystery sets everything in motion ✓ Tour group full of suspects and hidden agendas ✓ Great Barrier Reef, Hunter Valley, Sydney settings ✓ Presidential-level stakes ✓ Enemies-to-lovers with trust issues ✓ He's a security consultant protecting the President ✓ She's a Black Swan operative undercover ✓ Sweet ro
At the Honolulu airport, Jayden Pierce made a mistake that will change she grabbed the wrong gray rolling bag.
She didn't realize it until she was alone in her hotel room. Until she opened it. Until she saw what was inside—something that shouldn't exist, something that proves a deadly conspiracy is in motion.
And someone on her tour group to Sydney is behind it.
Dakota Rivers has been undercover for three days, embedded in a tour group bound for Australia. His identify and stop a critical threat to President Isaac White before the Opera House summit in two weeks.
When he discovers what Jayden is carrying, everything points to her. Every instinct says she's the threat he's hunting.
But his gut says she's something else entirely.
So Dakota makes a calculated gamble. Instead of turning her in, he proposes an alliance. They'll work together—go undercover as an engaged couple, hunt for the real threat among their fellow tourists, and stop whatever's coming before the President arrives.
It's the only move that makes sense. It's also completely insane.
For two weeks, they'll tour Australia while playing the perfect couple. Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef while watching for enemies. Wine tasting in Hunter Valley while identifying suspects. Romantic dinners where they're both calculating exits and wondering who's really playing whom.
The problem? Jayden IS playing him. Because she's not a travel blogger. She's a Black Swan operative on a classified mission. And she's definitely not telling Dakota that.
Both of them are keeping secrets. Both of them are hunting the same enemy. And both of them are falling for the one person they absolutely cannot trust.
The tour group is full of people with something to anxious consultant who seems terrified of everythingThe British couple with suspicious backgroundsThe photographer who never stops watchingThe honeymoon couple who might be too perfectThe elderly birdwatcher who sees more than he shouldSomeone among them is dangerous. Someone has already crossed lines that can't be uncrossed. And as the tour moves from Cairns to Sydney, as the President's arrival draws closer, the stakes climb higher with every mile.
Because Alan Martin doesn't just want to win. He wants to send a message. And he'll eliminate anyone who gets in his way.
When the conspiracy explodes on Sydney Harbour, Jayden will find herself in the crossfire. Dakota will have to choose between his mission and saving her. And all their secrets—every lie, every cover story, every truth they've been hiding—will come spilling out.
In the end, trust isn't a luxury. It's survival. And two liars might just have to tell the truth to save each other.
SOUTH is a pulse-pounding Christian romantic suspense ✓ Forced to work together on dangerous mission ✓ Fake engagement to maintain cover ✓ Both hiding critical secrets from each other ✓ Bag switch mystery sets everything in motion ✓ Tour group full of suspects and hidden agendas ✓ Great Barrier Reef, Hunter Valley, Sydney settings ✓ Presidential-level stakes ✓ Enemies-to-lovers with trust issues ✓ He's a security consultant protecting the President ✓ She's a Black Swan operative undercover ✓ Sweet ro
- GenresChristian Fiction
353 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 7, 2026
About the author
Susan May Warren
240 books3,885 followersI can't help be amazed at the gifts God has delighted me with - a wonderful husband, four amazing children, and the opportunity to write for Him.
I've been writing as long as I can remember - I won my first book writing contest in first grade! Over the years, writing has become, for me, a way to praise God and see Him at work in my life.
Although I have a degree in Mass Communications from the University of MN, my real writing experience started when I penned the The Warren Report - a bi-monthly newsletter that detailed our ministry highlights.
Living in Russia meant I never lacked for great material - and those experiences naturally spilled out first into devotionals and magazine articles and finally into my first published story, "Measure of a Man," in the Tyndale/HeartQuest, Chance Encounters of the Heart anthology.
Susan and husbandI grew up in Wayzata, a suburb of Minneapolis, and became an avid camper from an early age. My favorite fir-lined spot is the north shore of Minnesota - it's where I met my husband, honeymooned and dreamed of living. The north woods easily became the foundation for my first series, The Deep Haven series.based on a little tourist town along the shores of Lake Superior. I have to admit - I'm terribly jealous of Mona, the heroine of my first full-length book, Happily Ever After, a Christy Award Finalist published in 2004 with Tyndale/Heartquest.
Our family moved home from the mission field in June 2004 -- and now we live in the beautiful town I'd always dreamed of! God has amazed me anew with His provision, and blessings -- and allowed me a season when I can write full time for Him.
I 'm delighted you've stopped in to visit. My hope is that you'll be blessed and encouraged by soul-stirring stories of regular people interacting with a God who loves them.
I'd love to hear from you! I love getting mail, especially from readers and I welcome your questions and comments. Write to me at susan@susanmaywarren.com. And, if you're interested, sign up for my newsletter, a quarterly sneak peek into upcoming releases and projects. Thank you for your interest and support.
God Bless and Happy Reading!
In His Grip,
Susan May Warren
I've been writing as long as I can remember - I won my first book writing contest in first grade! Over the years, writing has become, for me, a way to praise God and see Him at work in my life.
Although I have a degree in Mass Communications from the University of MN, my real writing experience started when I penned the The Warren Report - a bi-monthly newsletter that detailed our ministry highlights.
Living in Russia meant I never lacked for great material - and those experiences naturally spilled out first into devotionals and magazine articles and finally into my first published story, "Measure of a Man," in the Tyndale/HeartQuest, Chance Encounters of the Heart anthology.
Susan and husbandI grew up in Wayzata, a suburb of Minneapolis, and became an avid camper from an early age. My favorite fir-lined spot is the north shore of Minnesota - it's where I met my husband, honeymooned and dreamed of living. The north woods easily became the foundation for my first series, The Deep Haven series.based on a little tourist town along the shores of Lake Superior. I have to admit - I'm terribly jealous of Mona, the heroine of my first full-length book, Happily Ever After, a Christy Award Finalist published in 2004 with Tyndale/Heartquest.
Our family moved home from the mission field in June 2004 -- and now we live in the beautiful town I'd always dreamed of! God has amazed me anew with His provision, and blessings -- and allowed me a season when I can write full time for Him.
I 'm delighted you've stopped in to visit. My hope is that you'll be blessed and encouraged by soul-stirring stories of regular people interacting with a God who loves them.
I'd love to hear from you! I love getting mail, especially from readers and I welcome your questions and comments. Write to me at susan@susanmaywarren.com. And, if you're interested, sign up for my newsletter, a quarterly sneak peek into upcoming releases and projects. Thank you for your interest and support.
God Bless and Happy Reading!
In His Grip,
Susan May Warren
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
“Faith might be the hardest mission yet.”
✨Hands down, the best in the series so far!!!✨
I instantly connected with Jayden Pierce and Dakota Rivers and loved their chemistry. The author strung me along for most of the book and I wasn’t certain which character was being honest; I love it when that happens!
The messages about (1) faith meaning that we need to trust what we don’t know and believe that it’ll work out anyway and (2) that everything we experience is meant to bring us closer to God stuck with me and I appreciated the encouragement to keep trusting God for the outcome.
I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these FANTASTIC characters and I hope the author will consider inviting them into a future story! I’d love to find out what happens next.
✨Hands down, the best in the series so far!!!✨
I instantly connected with Jayden Pierce and Dakota Rivers and loved their chemistry. The author strung me along for most of the book and I wasn’t certain which character was being honest; I love it when that happens!
The messages about (1) faith meaning that we need to trust what we don’t know and believe that it’ll work out anyway and (2) that everything we experience is meant to bring us closer to God stuck with me and I appreciated the encouragement to keep trusting God for the outcome.
I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these FANTASTIC characters and I hope the author will consider inviting them into a future story! I’d love to find out what happens next.
July 17, 2026
South by Susan May Warren (“The Hunt for Alan Martin” which includes “East”, “North”, and “South” and “West” which comes out this Fall) is great! My favorite so far in the series is “South”!
I love the all the details and descriptions. I love the travel. I love the romance. I loved how SMW wove in, throughout the whole entire story, how we need God at every hour. Jaden, (Katya, Lynx, Tiffany, TJ,) and Dakota make a great team. Australia was a beautiful setting for the book. I love the tour group concept, and all the places they went. How Jones, Inc., and the Black Swans team up. It is a GREAT Story! One you couldn’t put down!
I love the all the details and descriptions. I love the travel. I love the romance. I loved how SMW wove in, throughout the whole entire story, how we need God at every hour. Jaden, (Katya, Lynx, Tiffany, TJ,) and Dakota make a great team. Australia was a beautiful setting for the book. I love the tour group concept, and all the places they went. How Jones, Inc., and the Black Swans team up. It is a GREAT Story! One you couldn’t put down!
August 6, 2026
South is the 3rd book in The Hunt for Alan Martin. Now if you haven’t read any of Susan’s books before now you need to get into them now. This book is just as explosive and wild as the first 2 books in the series. There is more and more dangerous revolving around Alan Martin and his schemes to end the President, Issac White. Alan has a personal vendetta against Present White for reasons they are mentioned throughout each book. I loved how Susan weaves Alan’s past into these books too to see his true character and reasoning behind who he is.
I think as everyone reads deeper into the story line they’ll see things aren’t always as they seem. In South, Jayden Pierce, Black Swan operator is on a mission in Sydney to stop a threat against the president and Dakota Rivers “South” is an undercover operative trying to stop this attack as well. Neither of them know the other’s true identity. I loved their chemistry it was perfect even though in the first part to about halfway they didn’t realize who each other were. There is a fake engagement but true feelings are the core of it all. Another perfect SMW book.
💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚
I think as everyone reads deeper into the story line they’ll see things aren’t always as they seem. In South, Jayden Pierce, Black Swan operator is on a mission in Sydney to stop a threat against the president and Dakota Rivers “South” is an undercover operative trying to stop this attack as well. Neither of them know the other’s true identity. I loved their chemistry it was perfect even though in the first part to about halfway they didn’t realize who each other were. There is a fake engagement but true feelings are the core of it all. Another perfect SMW book.
💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚💚
Review of advance copy received from Author
I know Alan Martin is a dangerous man, but we keep getting to know him better and seeing the other side of him makes me sad. I live in Australia so I enjoyed the familiar places in this story. The two main characters got to see each other under the lies and layers, and regained their faith as the story progressed. There were so many possible suspects on their tour, so it kept the story moving along. I really enjoyed it and am anticipating the final book!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I absolutely loved this! I cannot wait for the next book. The story between Dakota and Jayden was spectacular. I also love the Alan Martin story. Showing his perspective from flash back of previous stories are amazing and I hate that I want a happy ending for him!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This series keeps getting better and better. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole book! I can’t wait for book four!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow! The excitement and intrigue continues! I’m more amazed with each book in the series as it just keeps getting better and the story stays fresh. What a gifted author.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews